1 N a ka tahuri ahau, a ka titiro ki nga tukinotanga katoa e mahia nei i raro i te ra: na ko nga roimata o te hunga i tukinotia, kahore hoki o ratou kaiwhakamarie; a he kaha kei te ringa o o ratou kaitukino, otiia kahore o ratou kaiwhakamarie.

¶ So I returned and considered all the violence that is done under the sun and behold the tears of such as are oppressed, and they have no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but the oppressed had no comforter.

2 N a, ko taku whakamoemiti ki te hunga mate kua mate noa ake, nui atu i taku ki te hunga ora e ora nei.

Therefore I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive.

3 E ngari ia pai atu i a raua te tangata kahore ano i whanau noa, kahore ano i kite noa i te mahi he e mahia nei i raro i te ra.

And I thought that better is he than both of them who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil works that are done under the sun.

4 N a ka kite ahau i te mauiui katoa, i nga mahi tohunga katoa, he mea hoki tenei e hae ai te tangata ki tona hoa. He horihori ano hoki tenei, a he whai kau i te hau.

¶ Again, I considered all travail and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

5 K o te wairangi, kei te kotui i ona ringa, a kainga ana e ia ona kikokiko ake.

The fool folds his hands together and eats his own flesh.

6 H e pai ke te ringa ki i runga i te ata noho, i nga ringa ki e rua, ki te mea he ruha, he whai noa i te hau.

Better is a handful with rest than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

7 K atahi ahau ka tahuri, a ka kite i te horihori i raro i te ra.

¶ Then I returned, and I saw another vanity under the sun.

8 H e tangata tera, ko ia anake, kahore hoki ona tokorua; ae ra, kahore ano hoki ana tama, ona tuakana, teina ranei; heoi kahore he mutunga o tana mahi katoa, e kore ano hoki ona kanohi e makona i nga taonga. Na ka mea ia, Ki a wai toku whakaaro i a hau ka mahi nei, ka whakatiki nei i toku wairua ki te pai? He horihori ano tenei, he raruraru kino.

It is the man who is alone, without a successor, who has neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity and sore travail.

9 E rangi te tokorua i te kotahi; no te mea ka whiwhi raua ki te utu pai i ta raua mahi.

Two are better than one because they have a better reward for their labour.

10 K i te hinga hoki tetahi, ma tona hoa ia e whakaara: aue, te mate mo te kotahi, ina hinga, ki te kahore te whakatokorua hei whakaara i a ia!

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls, for he has not another to help him up.

11 K i te takoto tahi ano nga tokorua, ka mahana raua; he tangata kotahi ia, ma te aha ka mahana ai tona kotahi?

Again, if two sleep together, then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone?

12 K i te kaha tetahi i a ia kotahi nei, ka maia te tokorua ki a ia; e kore hoki te aho takitoru e motu wawe.

And if one prevails against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

13 P ai ake te tamaiti rawakore, whakaaro nui i te kingi kua koroheketia, kua wairangi, kua kore nei ona mohio ki te whakarongo ina whakatupatoria.

¶ Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king who will no longer be admonished.

14 I puta mai hoki tera i roto i te whare herehere, hei kingi; ae ra, ahakoa i roto i tona whenua i kingi ai, i whanau rawakore mai ia.

For he came out of prison to reign, even though he was born poor into his kingdom.

15 I kite ahau i te hunga ora katoa e haere nei i raro i te ra, kei te tama ratou, kei te tuarua, kua tu nei i te tunga o tera.

I saw all the living who are under the sun walking with the child, the successor that shall stand up in his stead.

16 K ahore he mutunga o te iwi katoa, ara o te hunga ko ia nei to ratou ariki; na e kore o muri iho i a ia e koa ki a ai. He pono, he horihori ano hoki tenei a he whai kau i te hau.

There is no end of all the people that have been before them; those also that come after shall not be content in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.